Gärd Kristin "Kicki" Bengtsson is a former Swedish footballer who began playing with IFK Viksjö before joining Hammarby IF in 1988. She spent nine seasons with Hammarby during her first spell and established herself as one of Sweden's leading players. After leaving Hammarby, Bengtsson represented Öxabäck/Mark IF before embarking on an unusually international career for a Swedish player of her generation, playing for Suzuyo Shimizu in Japan, FK Athene Moss in Norway and San Diego Spirit and Carolina Courage in the United States.
Bengtsson later returned to Swedish football with Malmö FF, Kopparbergs/Landvetter IF and Djurgården/Älvsjö. Her performances during the 2004 season earned her both the Diamantbollen and the Women's Defender of the Year award. Remarkably, it was her second Diamantbollen, having first received Sweden's most prestigious individual women's football award ten years earlier in 1994 while playing for Hammarby.
At international level, Bengtsson represented Sweden between 1991 and 2005, finishing with 157 appearances and 14 goals. She appeared at multiple World Cups, European Championships and Olympic Games and was one of the most experienced Swedish internationals of her era. After finishing her playing career with a second spell at Hammarby, she later moved into coaching and worked with the club's women's team.
